________________________________VOLUME 42 NUMBER 1
February 2008
T H E
M e s s e n g e r
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Washington, DC
LENTen growth
By Pastor Renata Eustis
As I write this, January is coming to a close. It seems to me like Christmas was last week. I realize that could have something to do with the fact that we just took our Christmas tree down—last week—on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I do believe this is a new record for our family. Probably the most amazing thing of all was that I noticed that the tree was drooping and dried up on January 18 and accused Paul of not giving it enough water! (Luckily, I filled up the stand with water so there was plenty to spill out all over the floor when Paul carried the tree out two days later.)
Believe it or not, within days we will be eating pancakes and having our foreheads marked with ashes, beginning once again our Lenten journey. There are many ways to mark this 40-day time of preparation. One of the most common is to give up something—something that really matters to you. That point was driven home by other family members when our daughter, May, announced she was giving up shrimp for Lent, (a food she makes every effort to avoid). As I look around, it seems to me like the most precious thing for many of us is time.
What if we thought of our Lenten discipline as giving up some of our time? On each Wednesday, starting on February 13, we’ll be gathering in small groups for an hour and fifteen minutes. These groups will meet in various parts of the DC area; most groups will meet in the evening from 7:30 – 8:45 p.m. Of course, you have to add in the time it takes you to get there and home (unless you’re hosting)—but that all counts as part of what you’re giving up for Lent.
I’ve been speaking somewhat tongue in cheek here because, the way I see it, Lent is much more about growth than sacrifice. During our small group gatherings we’ll be reflecting on readings from the Bible, as well as other sources, about what it means to live out our Baptismal promises in our daily lives. We are hoping that each group will have eight people and that the opportunity to talk about our faith and our lives will both stretch and strengthen us.
I read a sermon recently that talked about how God uses the church to change us. In response to the common argument that you don’t really need to be involved in a community, the preacher said: “You might bump into Jesus on your own, but you will not grow into spiritual maturity on your own.” Coming together, each week, for five weeks, gives us the opportunity to grow spiritually.
Being a part of the Wednesday Lenten Small Groups, also offers the possibility of getting to know one another as members of a Christian community, to have longer conversations than the sometimes fleeting ones we have in the rush of coffee hour. Being willing to give up our time makes it possible for us to be fed in ways that give us what we truly need. As one pastor says, “In church, God liberates us from ourselves and joins us to others, because, after all, we are so very desperate to be more than individuals.”
So, as we move into Lent, listen to see if the Holy Spirit might be nudging you to give up some of that most precious commodity—time—to make the journey with a small group of fellow travelers.
The schedule and locations follow.
1Lenten Small Groups: Reflecting Together on Our Baptismal Promises
Wednesdays, February 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12
Wednesday Morning, 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon
Location: Christ Lutheran Church, also includes lunch
Wednesday Evening, 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Location: Christ Lutheran Church, also includes Catechesis program for young children & supper
Wednesday Evening, 7:30 - 8:45 p.m.
Location: Takoma Park, home of Carla Howery, 8008 Maple Avenue
Wednesday Evening, 7:30 - 8:45 p.m.
Location: Silver Spring, home of Linda & Mack Ott, 1516 Grace Church Road
Wednesday Evening, 7:30- 8:45 p.m.
Location: Washington,DC, home of Albert & Anita Herring, 4801 Colorado Avenue NW
Wednesday Evening, 7:30 - 8:45 p.m
Location: Bethesda, home of Pam & Paul Sieving, 7309 Bannockburn Ridge Court
Note: While we hope that people will be able to come each week, drop-ins are welcome.
The plan is that the groups will begin and end on time. Except where noted, beverages and a snack/dessert will be served. Each group will have the same program.
TRANSFORMATION
By Vicar Christine May
This past Fall a playgroup began meeting at CLC. I originally mentioned it to Lucia Rist as just something I had been a part of when my kids were really little. In passing I said to her, “Maybe we could do something like that here.” Little did I know what God had in store.
I really do believe that the Spirit is working overtime at CLC. Lucia and I definitely talked with people about the playgroup; we put up flyers, and listed the playgroup on area websites, but I don’t think either one of us expected the explosion of kids to come tumbling into CLC. All these smiles and laughter, they fill the downstairs on Thursday mornings. As I pass by I feel as if God is smiling – I know it is something that God is doing.
As many of you know, the playgroup needed more space. An unused room was available, if it could get fixed up. The ceiling was in dire need of repair, it needed cleaned out, and painted. I mentioned it to Frank Malone and then, again the Spirit moved. CLC members jumped on it.
On Tuesday I walked back to look at the space they were finishing up and I was overcome, truly just amazed. I walked into the warm yellow space and it felt so full. I couldn’t actually see anything in the room, but I could feel the fullness of God.
The old being transformed into something new. Transformation is one of the amazing acts of God. Through the gifts of bread and wine we ourselves are transformed. In the sacrament of baptism we are washed and made new. Each of us, a new creation, transformed into little Christ’s (Christians). As we move into Lent, let us expect ourselves and our fellow believers to actually be transformed by the fullness of God.
PARTNER ARMS III OPENS!
Transitional Housing Corporation (THC) is excited to announce the addition of its third transitional housing progrdam -- Partner Arms III.
This 13-unit apartment building, located at 342 37th St., SE near Ft. Dupont Park in Ward 7 is newly renovated. The DC Department of Human Services and The Community Partnership for the Prevention of
Homelessness made this property available as part of DHS' commitment to move away from the "temporary shelter" model toward more supportive housing programs to serve the city's homeless population. THC was
chosen from several non-profit organizations that applied to manage the housing program and provide comprehensive support services. Partner Arms III will increase THC's transitional housing capacity by one-third, expanding its ability to alleviate homelessness. Residents will move
in and all supportive services will be in place by early February.
Furniture has been delivered to these apartments but each apartment
still needs the following items: twin-sized bedding, bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, kitchen towels & cloths, mops, brooms, buckets, dustpans, coffee pots, microwaves, toasters and irons. If you can help provide any of these items, please take them to church ASAP and we will deliver them to the THC office next door - the little brick house on the CLC campus.
PANCAKE SUPPER - FEBRUARY 5
The 2008 SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER will be February 5, 5:30 to 7:30
pm, in "The Ice Palace" (undercroft). Pancakes (flipped by Wayne & Rick
Noll), sausage, applesauce, beverages and dessert will be served family style.
It will be all you can eat for a free-will offering.
Entertainment will include a "Treasure Hunt" conducted by Sylvia Glauster. Proceeds will help start an Oromo library in Mettu, Ethiopia.
Bring friends and family! Contact Joanne Noll at 301-530-2265 or nollcaljo@juno.com to help decorate or cook and serve.
At the close of the supper, we will go to the Memorial Garden for a prayer and the burning of palms to make ashes for Ash Wednesday. Anyone who still has palms is asked to bring them.
"THE LITURGY OF JOY" RETURNS FOR THE LENTEN SEASON
by Gerry Coleman
Interim Director of Music
The Sundays in Lent will find us exploring more of James Capers' "Liturgy of Joy" as our liturgical setting for the season. I say "more," because we have already learned and come to love his "Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful, Lord." Some of you were around when this liturgy was used some years ago, but so many are new that I wanted to seize this opportunity to let you share in the excitement of what is to come.
When the staff discussed the possibility of doing this particular liturgy in Lent, we were encouraged by the realization that this would be an ecumenical act in a sense, an attempt to incorporate into our worship cultural traditions that have not yet become a part of our permanent repertory. We seek a multi-culturalism that is the natural companion of our diversity. I confess that I encouraged this because of my love the piano in general, and my appreciation for the quality of the beautiful Yamaha grand we are priviledged to enjoy in our sanctuary. And please know that I say that as the biggest fan of the beautiful von Beckerath tracker-action organ which graces our loft. We are not giving up organ music for Lent. You will have the chance to hear some of the finest organ preludes of Bach and other historic Lutheran composers during our Lenten worship.
A final word: don't be put off by the seeming incongruence of the title "Liturgy of Joy," and the penitent spirit of Lent. In reality, the Sundays don't belong to the forty days of Lent. (Count it up if you don't believe me!) They are Sundays in Lent, but not of Lent, and this is more than a trifling semantic distinction. The church has always celebrated the Lord's Day as the day of resurrection. So while we voluntarily sacrifice our hymn of praise and the use of the word "Alleluia," we retain the joyful spirit of worship of the Risen Christ throughout the year. Embracing the paradox will likely be a blessing for our journey with Christ from the Mount of Transfiguration to the open tomb.
I look forward to sharing that journey with you.
THE PASCHAL CANDLE
by Marilyn Zukel
Among the most powerful symbols of the Christian church the Paschal candle serves as a visual reminder of our Lord's Easter triumph over the darkness of death and sin. In church history, some great Paschal candles weighed 300 pounds; some stands were 10 feet tall. They emphasized the greatness of Christ's Easter victory. They have been used in worship since at least the fifth century.
The candle is marked with the cross inserted with 5 "nails" representing Christ's wounds, the Greek letters alpha and omega (meaning the beginning and the ending) and the numerals of the current year.
Beginning with Easter, the candle occupies a central position. It is lighted for all services during the season until Pentecost, when it is extinguished. Thereafter, it is located by the baptismal font. The candle provides a visual connection between baptism and Easter, reminding us that in our baptism we are buried and raised with Christ.
If you wish to donate the Paschal candle in memory of a loved one, please contact Marilyn Zukel (703) 356-1873 by February 24. The cost of the candle is approximately
$125.00; there may be more than one donor. The gift will be acknowledged in the Easter service worship folder.
FITNESS and FELLOWSHIP
Fr Vicar Christine May
Did anyone make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more? This is your chance to become healthier and visit with CLC friends. I have spoken with a few members who are interested in starting a running/walking group. We can have varying speeds, depending on interest. To start off with, we would meet one Sunday a month after fellowship time to run/walk in Rock Creek Park. If you are interested in being part of these groups, please let Vicar Christine know (clsm1217@starpower.net) by February 17. Please specify your interest: run or walk and the distance you are interested in completing.
[formerly Circle the Wagons]
All CLC women are invited to come for an afternoon of relaxing fellowship!
Anyone want to volunteer to host the March 9 Circle? Contact Carla Howery.
Here are the dates for the Circle of Sister gatherings for the calendar year. Mark your calendars and consider volunteering to host one of the open dates.
March 9
May 4 - Carla Howery
July 13
September 14 [after Yard Sale
carryout]
November 23
RECONCILING IN CHRIST RESOURCES
By Carolina Glauster
Our discussion on RIC Sunday was lively and productive, and the Social Ministries Committee thanks everyone who was able to be there and our moderators, Carla and Sheila.
Several people present asked that we make available some sources for more information on issues of sexual identity in the Lutheran Church. Here are some of the resources that the Social Ministries committee found while planning the event. We hope to have more opportunities for ongoing dialogue as a congregation, so if you are interested please take a look!
Here's a link to the ELCA's Journeying Faithfully Together Study:
http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/
http://www.elca.org/faithfuljourney/pdf/study02_72dpi.pdf
There is also a multicultural report: http://www.elca.org/multicultural/newsmulticulturalreport.html
The ELCA multicultural page has a nice web resource called "One Body" http://www.elca.org/onebody/
It is like a didactic lesson and you go through it by answering questions--what you see depends on how you answer the question.
To look at the resource without answering the questions, the navigation page is here: http://www.elca.org/onebody/fulloutline.html
Another resource that was mentioned is the document produced by the United Methodist group Soul Force called "What the Bible Says--and Doesn't Say--About Homosexuality." It can be found at:
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible
This is far from an exhaustive list of resources touching on the issue of sexual identity and its relationship to religion and the church, but we hope it can provide a starting point for those eager to learn more.
SIMPLY GIVING
By Pennie Noll
What is Simply Giving? It’s an easier, simpler way to make your regular contribution to our congregation through automated giving.
The simply Giving program is designed to help you conveniently, consistently and joyfully give financial gifts to our congregation’s ministry. By participating in the program, you can use electronic funds transfer to give your weekly, semi-monthly or monthly offering.
A Thrivent representative will be at Christ Church during coffee hour on February 10th and 17th to discuss the program, answer questions and enroll interested members. You can also read about the program by visiting the Thrivent Financial Web site at www.Thrivent.com. Click on Fraternal Programs, Church & Community Programs, then Simply Giving.
GIFTS OF HOPE
By Alice P. Meyer
2007 was another good year for Gifts of Hope at CLC! Gifts of Hope is the alternative gift giving program where people can buy mission opportunities instead of material gifts to give to friends and family members. We raised $1718 this year, $875 for Transitional Housing Corporation (THC). This is an increase from 2006. Thanks so much to those of you who selected items from Gifts of Hope for your gift giving.
Many thanks to Scott Pitner, who found, cut and delivered the beautiful Christmas tree for the nave. The tree fit the space very well and was so fresh that it held its needles through to the end. The church looked beautiful for the holidays thanks to the many volunteers who helped with the “Greening” and returned to its less colorful beauty in January thanks to folks who “de-greened”.
Sharon Kelly is second author in an article published January 1, 2008 in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: In-Treatment vs Out-of-Treatment Opioid-Dependent Adults: Drug Use and Criminal History. Sharon is a Research Scientist with Friends Research Institute in Baltimore and is studying entry and engagement into methadone maintenance treatment for heroin users.
Karin Klingman celebrated her birthday with her college roommate, Anne, and her family, including godson, Steven (now 24, and in college) in Phoenix, Arizona. Karin traveled with a cake in tow baked by Linda Ott from the Silent Auction offerings. As Karin said, “The cake was the object of several conversations with TSA, airline staff and fellow passengers at BWI, on the plane, and at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Definitely an icebreaker.” The next day Karin headed to Hawaii for 6 days of business and island hopping between the Big Island Hawaii and Oahu.
News from Kristl Dorschner—she is in her third year of medical studies in Ireland at the Beaumont Hospital, the training hospital for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). This year she will begin her long-awaited rotation in Ob/Gyn and hoped for elective in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In addition last year she made trips to India for Christmas to spend time with parents Nilu and Jon and brother Kristian, and made pleasure trips to Croatia and Lisbon, Spain. Sounds like she is busy and happy!
Speaking of Jon Dorschner, he is currently heading up a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Dhi Qhir, Iraq. Nilu is in India during this post.
FOR SALE:
KitchenAid clothes washer, $50 and Bob Sylwester will deliver. Funds will go to the yard sale.
Contact Bob at (301) 421-1419.
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORT
By Howard Bell
We, as a congregation, have a long history of making decisions that enrich our spiritual and community experiences which have challenged us financially.
For example, many years ago when the congregation decided to obtain and install the organ that enriches our worship services each Sunday, we stretched ourselves as a community to meet the capital costs associated with the organ. More recently, in late 2002 the congregation voted to strengthen our worship life together by hiring an Associate Pastor to enhance the education program for both our children and youth and to change the Music Director/Organist position from a quarter-time to a half-time position. These two initiatives required the Congregation to increase its annual giving by 25% over two years, which we did.
In early 2003, this congregation began a Building Visioning process to replace our aging heating, air conditioning, and mechanical systems, upgrade our sanctuary lighting, and make our building handicap accessible. When we agreed to this project, we established a budget of $2,500,000. We also agreed to meet this budgeted cost by selling our building at 1516 Hamilton (for around $1,000,000), engaging in a congregation capital drive to raise $1,250,000, and using money from our bequests to pay for the remaining project costs.
Since beginning the Building Visioning project we, as a congregation, have increased our total giving significantly. However, in spite of our overall increase due to combined operating and Building Visioning giving, today we are faced with the following challenges.
Envelop giving, if it continues at current levels, will leave us with an annual giving shortfall of 4-5%.
The appraisal for 1516 is $400,000 below our hoped for level.
Our capital drive fell short of its goal by approximately $300,000.
The construction bids for the work to accomplish the Building Vision are around $500,000 more than was budgeted.
Fortunately, the money from our bequests has appreciated very well over the past few years. Because of the excellent earnings on our bequests, we have been able to offset some of the effects of our fundraising shortfall, the disappointing building appraisal, and higher than expected construction costs.
Given the above, we need for the congregation to prayerfully consider its giving levels for the remainder of this year. To meet this year’s operating budget, we need to increase the annual giving level by at least 5% for the year.
At our next Congregation meeting, the Stewardship and Building Visioning Committees hope to present to the congregation the options available to us to realize our vision of a handicap accessible church facility with improved sanctuary lighting and modern heating, air conditioning, and mechanical systems.
While I know the above discussion means we, as a congregation, face significant financial challenges, I am heartened by our past ability, as a faith community, to successfully meet the challenges that face us.
PAINTING UPDATE
By Frank Malone
In December, Council approved the Building Committee recommendation to hire Benchmark to do ceiling repair and painting, mostly in the basement. In a single week in January, Benchmark repaired ceilings in the Sunday School room, the former THC space and restroom next to the nursery and the pastor’s restroom. Then they spray painted the ceilings in the Sunday School, the Counting room, and the former THC room. They fully painted the men’s and women’s lower level restrooms, the pastor’s restroom, and the two small children’s rest room.
The walls and trim of the former THC space have been painted by volunteers and the room is available for use. We hope the Thursday play group will be able to use it. Special thanks go to Bob Sylwester who installed the new light fixture in the small restroom and replaced a problem wall outlet in the larger room.
While the contract gave us a big boost, there remain painting opportunities for volunteers. Among other needs, when the ice is off the roof, we hope to find the leak causing the paint in the upstairs men’s room to peel.
THEOLOGICAL BOOK CLUB: READING AND SHARING TOGETHER
By Carla B. Howery
The Theological Book Club welcomes anyone to come on a one-time or continuing basis, to share thoughts about books that aid our faith journey,
We are meeting monthly and we rotate who selects the book to read and kicks off the discussion (the name in parentheses). We meet promptly at 12:15, now in the Wenchel Chapel. Here is the list for the calendar year. Mark your calendars, visit the library, enjoy reading, and come and share your thoughts.
DATES AND BOOKS
March 2 Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels (Marty Jewett)
April 13 Ruth and Esther: Women in Alien Lands by Johanna W. H. van Wijk-Bos (Christine May)
May 18 The History of God: the 4000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong (and possibly her autobiography, The Spiral Staircase) (Susy Cheston)
July 13 Joshua by Joseph Girzone (David Blakemore)
Sept. 21 The Good Book by Peter Gomes (Herb Turvey)
Nov. 9 Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy by Donald Kraybill et. Al. (Carla Howery)
PARTING THOUGHTS
It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to Heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
~~~Matthew, age 9
Christ is all, and is in all.
-Colossians 3:10